True love overcomes politics

Photo by Norm RoyBette and Hank Decoteau, of Wales, stand on the porch of a cabin at a KOA Kampground south of Pittsburgh in July with their dog Kiki. They had just celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary by taking an RV trip around the Great Lakes.

Hank and Bette Decoteau were on opposite sides of political issues and a chain-link fence when they came face-to-face and fell in love.

The couple from Wales celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary last summer with a 1,500-mile RV trip circumnavigating the Great Lakes. I met the Decoteaus in July at a KOA Kampground south of Pittsburgh. They were on their way home in their camper-van, which is equipped with bed, refrigerator and other amenities that make road trips comfortable.

Henry F. "Hank" Decoteau, 70, was born in Springfield and recalls living on East Columbus Avenue before his family moved to the Forest Park section of the city. He graduated from the former Springfield Technical High School and worked for a publications distributor in West Springfield prior to enlisting in the Air Force in 1959.

After a combat tour in Vietnam, Hank was assigned to what is now Westover Air Reserve Base in Chicopee.

Bette A. Decoteau, 57, is a native of Wales. In 1969, she was among students demonstrating against the Vietnam War at the gates of the base.

"I come from a patriotic family but was opposed to the war," Bette said. But from Hank, she "learned a lot about the real story … and realized that anyone who serves in the military is a hero." She recalled that the servicemen who returned from Vietnam were not "well-received" by some Americans. "Students were particularly cruel," Bette said.

Hank and Bette began seeing each other, "a little," Bette said. "We were mostly friends" looking for "a safe place to talk and vent."

They married in July 1970 and spent the next nine years meeting Hank's military commitment, which involved duty in Germany until 1978. After Hank retired, the Decoteaus bought a home on Martha's Vineyard, where they spent the next 23 years. Bette operated a travel agency and Hank was a deputy sheriff in Vineyard Haven. They returned to Wales in 2001.

The Decoteaus now spend summers at Lake Wales in a cottage Bette's family has owned for decades. Their winter home is in Naples, Fla., where Bette works "just for fun" in the office of South Naples Citrus. Hank, just for fun, runs the orange-juice machine at the grove.

Their love for travel began while Hank was stationed in Europe. Together, they toured more than 19 countries. When they returned to America, they bought a large motorhome and "started seeing the states."

Today, Bette said, they travel by RV "because we still have a few places on our 'bucket list.'" Hank puts Mount Rushmore at the top of his itinerary. "We've been to the Grand Canyon, Bryce and Zion," Hank said, "but I want to do the other western national parks."

Bette's list is extensive but less specific: "We want to experience all those back roads and little towns," she said. With the perspective of a world traveler, Bette has decided that "The U.S. is the greatest country in the world. We may not be perfect but we’re the best there is."

Norm Roy, a retired production editor for The Republican, lives and travels in a motorhome. He is eager to hear from readers about their own travel adventures. His e-mail address is: lollygaggeratlarge@gmail.com